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Petrov-Vodkin's 'Still life with lilac' sells at Christie's for nearly $12 mln

Christie's reported that this work was "the most expensive painting sold at Russian art auctions"

"Still Life with Lilac" by Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

"Still Life with Lilac" by Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

LONDON, June 3. / TASS /. A painting by Russian-Soviet painter Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin (1878-1939) "Still Life with Lilac" sold at Christie's for 9.3 pounds ($11.7 mln) on Monday, TASS correspondent reported from the auction.

The auction took place as part of the famous Russian Art Week that is held in London in early June.

Christie's reported that this work was "the most expensive painting sold at Russian art auctions."

"Still Life with Lilac" was painted in 1928, at the peak of the artist's career, and was the precursor to what is considered his most recognizable work "Prunus in Glass", which belongs to the Russian Museum collection in St. Petersburg. The preliminary estimate of the Still Life with Lilac was 1-1.5 million pounds ($1.3-1.9 dollars).

Russian Art Week in London is a series of cultural events and auctions pertaining to Russia and Eastern Europe. All major auction houses - Sotheby’s, Christies, MacDougalls and Bonhams, participate in it. It takes place twice a year, in June and in November.

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